15:5–8 The fourfold repetition of “he appeared” indicates Paul’s emphasis in this passage—the eyewitness proof that Christ was raised from the dead. Most of those who witnessed the resurrection appearances were still living at the time Paul wrote this letter, so it was possible for anyone to check the facts. Particularly significant is the reference to “more than five hundred brothers at one time,” for it shows that the appearances cannot be explained away as mere personal hallucinations.